Monday, October 16, 2017

Chevron, ExxonMobil Earn AccoladesAround Texas

August, 2009

Oil giants Chevron Corp. and ExxonMobil Corp. both recently earned accolades—Chevron for its road safety programs and ExxonMobil for its green efforts.

San Ramon, Calif.-based Chevron was awarded the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in recognition of its work engaging governments and nonprofits to help save lives through improved road safety in countries where the company operates.

The Prince Michael International Road Safety Award is given to companies or organizations for outstanding achievement and innovation in road safety worldwide. The award is sponsored by the United Kingdom-based FIA Foundation for the Automobile in Society and managed by RoadSafe, a member of the Global Transport Knowledge Partnership. The award is named after His Royal Highness (HRH) Prince Michael of Kent, patron of the FIA Foundation's Commission for Global Road Safety.

"Chevron rates road safety highly and is an example to all in the corporate sector of the importance of sharing knowledge—a vital ingredient for building sustainable road safety programs in any country," HRH Prince Michael of Kent said in a statement.

Among the Chevron programs honored were:

-- Arrive Alive: Through this initiative, Chevron has engaged Guatemala, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and El Salvador to work collaboratively toward road safety improvements, such as the installation of rumble strips, lane markings and signage, seat belt and pedestrian safety campaigns, and distribution of motorcycle helmets.

-- Road Transport Safety Management Plan: This worldwide comprehensive fuel delivery plan sets a world-class example for the management of fleet operations and driver safety. A key component of the plan is the Master Driver Program, which recognizes fuel tank drivers who have driven 20-plus years without an incident, according to Chevron.

-- Children's Road Safety Campaign (U.K. and Ireland): Program features a series of books, Web sites and videos about Hector, a child on his way to school and all the safety related behaviors he uses along the way.

-- "Stop for Life, Drive Your Behaviors" (Venezuela): A public awareness campaign aimed at educating drivers about the importance of using seat belts, as well as the dangers of speeding and drunk driving.

"Safety has long been a part of our company's heritage and values," stated Chuck Taylor, Chevron's vice president for health, environmental and safety. "It's an honor to be recognized for our road safety efforts."

In other news, Forbes named Irving, Texas-based ExxonMobil the Green Company of the Year for using both the political and engineering approach to go green, according to a report by the magazine.

Politically, ExxonMobil said in July it would put $600 million into algae farms that would turn sunlight into automotive fuel. It takes a leap of faith to think tanks of algae can compete with oil wells, even allowing for the advantage that biofuels would have in a world of carbon permits (or carbon taxes), the magazine stated. Since taking the helm in 2006, ExxonMobil boss Rex W. Tillerson has worked hard to soften the company's stance on climate change; he is not as gruff and forceful as predecessor Lee R. Raymond in dismissing global warming alarmists, according to Forbes.

In engineering, Exxon’s solution to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is to drill for natural gas. Per unit of energy delivered, methane releases 40 percent to 50 percent less carbon dioxide than coal, and a quarter less than petroleum. Coal fuels half of U.S. power generation, and replacing all of it with methane would cut CO2 emissions by 1 billion tons a year. "Natural gas is the answer to green-energy low-carbon concerns," Neil Duffin, president of ExxonMobil's project development company, told Forbes.